What Are The 14 Highest Peaks In The World?
Planet Earth is home to 14 8000 meter peaks. The Eight Thousanders are the world’s high points and are an attractive goal for mountaineers, yet few people are able to climb the highest peaks in the world.
The mountains included in this list indicated each mountain’s highest point. As legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner said “All the 8,000ers have one, nothing else and that is a main summit. According to his or her personal experience, each person must decide by himself or herself where they have been. Always for me the most important thing is not where the others have gone but the experience lived through.”
All of the 8000 meter peaks have summits in “the Death zone.” Due to their elevation, location, and on-mountain hazards, all of these peaks present their own challenges. Hundreds of people have died attempting eight thousanders. Will you ever stand on any of these summits?
All of the world’s 8000 meter peaks are located in Asia in China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. All of these mountains are located in two mountain ranges:
- Himalaya
- Karakoram
8000 Meter Peaks Map:
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(The pinpoints may not be 100% accurate)
8000 Meter Peaks List:
| Rank | Peak | Elevation (Meters) | Elevation (Feet) | Range | Country | First Ascent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everest | 8850 | 29.035' | Himalaya | Nepal/China | 1953 (May 29) - E. Hillary T. Norgay |
| 2 | K2 | 8611 | 28,250' | Karakoram | Pakistan/China | 1954 (July 31) - A. Campagnoni, L. Lacedelli |
| 3 | Kangchenjunga | 8586 | 28,169' | Himalaya | Nepal/India | 1955 (May 25) - G. Band, J. Brown |
| 4 | Lhotse | 8516 | 27,490' | Himalaya | Nepal/China | 1956 (May 18) - F. Luchsinger, E. Reiss |
| 5 | Makalu | 8463 | 27,766' | Himalaya | Nepal/China | 1955 (May 15) - J. Couzy, L. Terray |
| 6 | Cho Oyu | 8201 | 26,906' | Himalaya | Nepal/China | 1954 (October 19) - S. Joechler, H. Tichy, P. Dawa Lama |
| 7 | Dhaulagiri | 8167 | 26,795' | Himalaya | Nepal | 1960 (May 13) - K. Diemberer, P. Diener, M. Dorji, E. Forrer, N. Dorji, A. Schelbert |
| 8 | Manaslu | 8163 | 26,781' | Himalaya | Nepal | 1956 (May 9) - T. Imanishi, G. Norbu |
| 9 | Nanga Parbat | 8126 | 26,660' | Himalaya | Pakistan | 1953 (July 3) - H. Buhl |
| 10 | Annapurna I | 8091 | 26,545' | Himalaya | Nepal | 1950 (June 3) - M. Herzog, L. Lachenal |
| 11 | Gasherbrum I | 8068 | 26,470' | Karakoram | Pakistan/China | 1958 (July) - A. Kaufman, P. Schoening |
| 12 | Broad Peak | 8047 | 26,400' | Karakoram | Pakistan/China | 1957 (June 9) - H. Buhl, K. Diemberer, M. Schmuck, F. Winterstellar |
| 13 | Gasherbrum II | 8035 | 26,360' | Karakoram | Pakistan/China | 1956 (July 7) - S. Larch, F. Moravec, H. Willenpart |
| 14 | Shishapangma | 8027 | 26,335' | Himalaya | China | 1964 (May) - Chang Chun-yen, Wang Fu-zhou, Chen San, Cheng Tien-liang, Wu Tsung-yue, Sodnam Doji, Migmar Trashi, Doji, Yonten |
8000 Meter Peaks Records
- Reinhold Messner was the 1st person to climb all 14 of the 8000 meter peaks. At 42-years-old, Messner accomplished the task in 16 years from 1970 to 1986.
How many of the 8000 meter peaks have you climbed or skied? If you could climb any of them, which one would you climb first? Tell us in the comments below.
